Wall cabinet and method of assembly



Oct. 17, 1961 D. B. OKAlN ETI'AL 3,004,815

WALL CABINET AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLY Filed April 27, 1960 INVENTOR DENNIS 5. 0- N GILBERT A. VIOLA AT TO RN EY United States Patent 3,004,815 WALL CABINET AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLY Dennis B. OKain and Gilbert A. Viola, both of 410 E. 10th Circle, Hialeah, Fla. Filed Apr. 27, 1960, Ser. No. 24,960 3 Claims. (Cl. 312-242) This invention relates to a wall cabinet and particularly that type of cabinet that is adapted to be recessed into a wall opening and to have a circumferential flange that overlies the wall opening to form a trim element.

The invention contemplates a wall cabinet that is formed of molded plastics having a recognized depth for storage of various articles, such as medicines or the like and with the cabinet being provided with molded integral ledges upon its opposite end walls for the support of the conventional glass shelves.

Wall cabinets have heretofore been formed where the cabinet is assembled in multiple parts to form an extending flange that overlies the wall opening. Such wall cabinets have heretofore been formed of metal that is subject to corrosion or rusting and requires that the cabinet be treated with a suitable finish calculated to prevent rusting or corrosion and the structures heretofore presented have been relatively expensive to manufacture. The cabinet of the present invention contemplates a molded cabinet structure that is formed of plastics and adapted to receive in overlying relation, a metallic frame that is effectively connected to the forward side of the cabinet to extend outwardly and with the cabinet and the frame being constructed to have a snap-on engagement that requires no fastening devices and that will effectively provide a fixed structure that may be recessed into a wall opening in a simple manner.

The invention also contemplates a snap-on frame that is shaped to provide grooves for the reception of vinyl trackways to facilitate the sliding movement of overlapping glass panels that function to cover and uncover the opening of the cabinet.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet device and an overlying metallic frame structure prior to assembly,

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the cabinet in the assembled position,

FIGURE 3 is a section taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged section taken substantially on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

Referring specifically to the drawings, there has been illustrated a molded plastics cabinet, indicated as a whole by the numeral 5. The cabinet is generally rectangular or may be formed square as may be desired. The cabinet 5 has a rear wall 6, end walls 7 and top and bottom walls 8 and 9. The cabinet around its marginal facing for the cabinet.

forward portion is extended outwardly and forwardly to form wall sections 10 and 11 forming a circumferential seat 12. The marginal edge of the wall section 11 is provided with a plurality of outwardly extending and spaced apart relatively flexible tongues 13.

Adapted to overlie the open side of the cabinet and to have a seating engagement upon the seat 12, is a metallic frame 14. The frame 14 is preferably extruded from suitable metal, such as aluminum and constitutes a trim ice 2 The frame 14 includes an outer inwardly curved exposed face 15 that terminates in an inwardly directed rib 16 that extends entirely around the frame. The face 15 is provided with a web portion 17 that is adapted to be engaged within the seat 12.

- The web portion 17 is provided with an inner flange 18 and an outer flange 19 and with the flanges 18 and 19 constituting a peripheral groove 20 that is adapted to receive a suitable vinyl trackway that is adapted to receive horizontally sliding closure devices, such as a pair of overlapping glass panels. The trackway and the panels form no part of the present invention. The end walls of the plastic cabinet structure are provided with integral ribs 21, adapted to receive conventional glass shelves, not shown.

In assembling the device, the cabinet 5 is disposed in a flat position, resting upon the rear wall 6. The frame 14 is then disposed in overlying relation to the several tongues 13 and forced inwardly toward the cabinet, flexing the tongues 13 and causing them to snap behind the rib 16 and in the fully engaged position of the tongues with respect to the ribs, the frame member is fully seated into the recess 12 where it is permanently held against displacement. The device then presents a complete cabinet structure that may be recessed in a wall opening that is co-extensive with the cabinet 5 and with the frame 14 overlying the marginal edge portion of the wall opening. The flanges 18 and 19 may be bent upon themselves to form yieldable tongues that serve to grip upon the marginal side areas of trackways disposed within the grooves 20.

The device thus offers a very desirable molded cabinet structure 5 having a peripheral metallic flange, defined by the frame 14 and with the cabinet and the frame providing a fixed structure that may be furnished in assembled relation for installation in a wall opening. The tongues 13 constituting the connecting means between the cabinet and the frame constituting a very desirable and simplified connecting means between a molded plastics cabinet and a metallic frame, requiring no separate fastening devices and only requires that suitable vinyl trackways be disposed within the grooves 20 for the sliding reception of glass closure panels. The device is simple in construction, is strong, durable, cheap to manufacture and provides a wall cabinet that may be assembled and sold in a completed assembled relation.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having descr'bed our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A wall cabinet that includes a molded plastics hollow body portion open upon its forward side and an overlying metallic frame, the marginal portion of the body being peripherally offset to form a forwardly facing seat, the marginal edge of the seat being provided with a plurality of integral spaced apart flexible tongues, the said frame being proportioned to overlie the marginal portion of the body portion and to extend beyond the body portion to over-lie a wall area around a wall opening that receives the body portion, the frame having an intermediate portion that engages upon the seat of the body portion, the frame outwardly from the intermediate portion having a peripheral and rearwardly facing recess, an inwardly directed rib formed upon the outer marginal edge of the frame, the said frame adapted to engage upon the open side of the body portion with the several tongues engaging the recess in bowed snapping engagement behind the rib.

2. The structure according .to claim 1, wherein the ody p ion upon its ends is provided with a plur lity f horizontally arranged and inwardly directed ribs for the support of shelves.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the tongues are elongated and rectangular, the said frame being extruded to form a rearwardly curved face that terminates in the said ib, the intermediate portion being defined by a Web portion and inwardly directed flanges,

the inner periph for slidin ass elosu e panel the web portion and the flanges defining a channel around 2,876,056

.Blaekman June -18,' 'sl c M Golden "a ra- M ery of the frame for receiving trackways 

